Living in the UK

Hi Ken, Thank you so much for all your advice and suggestions. They'll definitely come in handy. I guess I have some research to do. I guess I was just naïve in thinking that with a British passport I could just walk into the country and not have Immigration say anything to me at the airport. I will definitely be working back in the US for 12 months minimum, in order to get together what I feel would last me for at least 6-12 months. I have a friend who I can rent their holiday let from them at least giving me a home base to work from. Add to that a cheap car to get me from A to B will give me the mobility to look further afield for employment. I wasn't expecting to be even eligible for the dole, so wasn't considering that as an option. I prefer to pay my own way and want to get a job as soon as possible, but I agree about the NHS, so health insurance will be a priority also.
At least I have the knowledge that I have time to do plenty of research to make sure I am doing everything the right way. there would be nothing worse than landing at Heathrow for example and being refused entry for some reason. But thank you again....and any further advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Linzi,
So glad to hear you are enjoying your trip after the trauma a couple of weeks before you left. I would think if your were born in England you would have citizenship rights but I would call immigration and ask. You may not be able to accomplish it all this trip but as you said, it could be your NY resolution for 2013. How exciting! Enjoy the rest of your trip. Hope to accomplish my third visit in 2013 myself. Pam

As you were born in the UK, with all the proper documentation you can apply for and get a British passport as your first step to emmigrating. Do that as soon as you get back to the USA and then research all the other steps. Good luck.

Thank you Pam and Norma :) Yes I must admit I am getting very excited at the prospect. Since posting, I've had the chance to sit down and work out the logistics of it all. I've decided to go live in Herefordshire, where I have a good friend to help me settle. Plus I am more of a country life type person so not being near the BIG city suits me down to the ground. :) I've decided to head back to the US as arranged, because there is nothing I can do just yet, but as you said, what a New Year's Resolution..lol. Once I get a job (hopefully that won't be long), I will save, save, save for 12 months. My friend has a holiday let cottage that I can rent for a few months, so that covers the accommodation, and all I need to worry about is food and my mobile/cell phone. Everything else is covered. That gives me a base to work from and I can look for a job. Then once that happens I can start saving for a place of my own and there are quite a number of well priced rentals in the area. :) I'd just need to get a cheap car to run around in. This all sounds good on paper. The hard part is getting it all done. I'm hoping to save around 9,000 GBP or more in that twelve months, without starving myself and without it feeling like I have NO money every pay period. I'm living with friends, so I don't have huge rents to pay (although I do give my friends money to cover room and board etc).
First thing is get my UK passport, which won't be a problem. Any other advice would be gratefully appreciated, such as how hard is it to change over an Australian Drivers License to a UK one. Research time. :)

Keith: I have the UK "right of abode" seal (for want of a better word) in my Canadian passport, based on my mother's birth in Scotland. Have the regulations changed?

Thanks Keith, always good to know about the driver's licence issue :) Thanks for correcting the spelling too...lol As for the citizenship issue...I was born in Lancashire in 1963. Both my parents were born in the UK, as was my sister and grandparents. All of my family dating back to 1066 was either born in the UK, Scotland or Ireland..lol. So having said that.... I don't think I'd have a problem do you? :D

Keith, you sound pretty much right on ... unless ... somebody has given up prior UK citizenship voluntarily I am led to believe.

Couple points of information regarding the driving licence exchange. The fee for doing so is £50, which is the same as for anyone's first full UK licence. The licence from Australia must still be valid (it will be sent back to the state of issue). The website for this is www.gov.uk/exchange-a-foreign-driving-licence

Linzi, You've received some good advice from Keith and the others. First of all, I'm very sorry to hear both of the loss of your husband in 2007 and more recently your job. Aside from friends, it sounds like there's no reason to stay in the U.S. I believe your plan to return to the U.S. and sort out the details is really the best option. The first step will be to apply for a U.K. Passport. There's a British Consulate in Los Angeles, which is probably the closest one to your location, and they'll be able to provide the exact information you need. I don't know what level of financial resources you might need to demonstrate prior to the move. Finding a job when you get back to the U.S. will certainly help with that. The authorities will probably want some assurance that you won't be going "on the dole" once you arrive in the U.K. As you won't have contributed to a national pension plan, some source of income will be required once you settle in the U.K. The employment prospects in Herefordshire may not be as plentiful as in larger centres. You may have to buy supplemental health insurance to provide coverage for a few months. N.H.S. may have similar rules to the medical plans here, and may have a "waiting period" of 2-3 months before coverage takes effect. Good luck!

The NHS is free to those who are 'ordinarily resident' in the UK. This would cover someone who intends to be a permanent resident in the future from day 1, although proof might be needed in registering with a doctor (eg tenancy agreement). To claim income-related benefits you have to be categorised 'habitually resident'. There are no hard and fast rules here as it is a result of assessment of individual circumstances. I would expect there would need to be a period of living in the UK in Linzi's circumstances to become eligible. As there are reciprocal social security arrangements between the USA and the UK there may be a possibility of being able to claim contribution-based benefits from day 1 - depending on individual circumstances again.

Thanks to Ralph and Marco :) I checked out the GOV web site with regards to my drivers licence and you are correct. Easy enough to change over. Unlike the USA..lol. Supposedly in Australia there was a reciprocal agreement so they easily just changed over a US licence to an Australian one. Fill out the form and pay the fee. But try doing that in the US. Don't know if each state is different. But trying to change over my Australian licence to an Arizona one, meant doing the ENTIRE process again...paperwork, fee, written test and driving test. No way! lol Anyway, it's all good to know ! :) It's going to be a long process and I have to be patient if I want it to work. I know I can't just get on a plane at anytime in the US and come back, but I WILL be back :) Thanks to everyone !